Israel Matzav

Swedish government criticizes its media, freedom of press remains intact

When the Aftonbladet blood libel against the IDF was published, the Swedish government claimed that any criticism of its media as 'interfering' with its 'free press.' But their protectiveness of their media is limited to when their media is targeting Jews. When their media targets Muslims, unsurprisingly, that's a different story. Even when the same newspaper is involved (Hat Tip: Media Backspin).

Yesterday was the final day of the Sweden Democrats party congress in Ljungbyhed, in the south province of Skåne, a traditional stronghold for this nationalist party. Today Sweden’s largest tabloid Aftonbladet published an opinion article by party leader Jimmie Åkesson, where he strongly attacks Islam, immigration from Muslim countries and how this affects the Swedish society.

Åkesson writes that “the multicultural Swedish elite of today are totally blind for the dangers of Islam”. He among else holds there to be around ten Muslim terror organisations established in the country, that Sweden has the largest amount of rapes in Europe and that Muslim men is over-represented among the perpetrators’.

Kent Ekeroth, international secretary of the Sweden Democrats, also attacked Islam and Muslims in a speech at the party congress. Among else he said that Islam must be fought down and that the Koran “incites violence against non-Muslims”.

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The leaders of all parties currently represented in the Swedish Parliament have today spoken out in Swedish media against the Sweden Democrats and the opinion article by Jimmie Åkesson.

Prime minister and leader of the Moderate Party, Fredrik Reinfeldt says that the article shows that the Sweden Democrats only have one issue.

“It’s the core of their ideology. They only have one political issue, to divide people into groups. Every attempt from power holders to distinguish the right religion, the right nationality or the right sexual orientation has always ended in horror”, Fredrik Reinfeldt told news agency TT during an informal press conference at Gothenburg University earlier today.

“When that view on society is made into politics, a sectioning of people into groups is made and that is neither manageable nor desirable. That is the consequence, in the long run, of what Jimmie Åkesson describes”.

”I believe in a different path. I admit that there are tensions in the Swedish society, rooted in different ideological and religious perceptions. But to me the conclusion can never be something else than that we must work harder to increase tolerance and curiosity between people who got somewhat different starting points”, Reinfeldt said.

Rumor has it that freedom of the press in Sweden has not been adversely impacted by the government criticism.

Media Backspin has more on this story here.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 7:19 PM